


Christmas in Arcadia

by MargoTeknologea



Category: Captain Harlock, 銀河鉄道９９９ | Ginga Tetsudou 999 | Galaxy Express 999
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Gen, Happy Ending, My First AO3 Post
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-25 19:59:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17127791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MargoTeknologea/pseuds/MargoTeknologea
Summary: An alternate Episode 10 of SSX. Harlock wasn't planning on celebrating Christmas but Tochiro takes matters into his own hands to ensure that everyone feels the Christmas spirit. This was a Secret Santa gift in the Sea of Stars Discord server.





	Christmas in Arcadia

The Arcadia was the only thing to disrupt the tranquility of the sea of stars, slicing through the blanket of darkness at a steady pace. Its heading was unknown, as the speed it was presently traveling at wasn't enough to get it very far. It wasn't uncommon for vessels to take breaks in between traveling at rapid speeds but the Arcadia was a ship that seemed to constantly be on the move. At this time, however, it seemed like a rare moment of peace and quiet.  
Aboard the ship was a very different story.

There was an air of quiet excitement fostered by the young hearts that were ferried aboard the infamous vessel. Shy glances cast amongst one another, whispers and giggles--all amounting to a building tension with each day that went by on the Earth calendar which they followed. It was mid-December back home and the children were eager to celebrate Christmas with Harlock and the rest of the crew of the Arcadia. Nobody spoke openly about it just yet as they didn't know how to approach it with the stoic Captain. There was one person who could get through to him and that person had been intently listening.

Tochiro was formulating a plan in his head to corner Harlock to discuss the idea of celebrating Christmas. They were planning a stop soon and they could easily sneak a tree aboard the ship. Everyone could pitch in to create decorations to hang from the branches, and Tochiro himself decided he wanted to be in charge of getting the gifts. The idea was one that was in his head alone, as he didn't want to dissuade the Captain by the wrong approach. In years prior Christmas had been a somber holiday for Harlock, and upon further prodding from Tochiro he got his friend to reveal that it was a holiday that he celebrated with Maya and both of their families back in Heiligenstadt. It wasn't as if he was moping about in regards to the holiday--he just found no reason to celebrate it and would rather focus on liberating Earth so that he could go home and celebrate.

At least, that was the excuse given by Harlock. This year they were not two men and a skeleton crew amongst the sea of stars, and the children deserved a special day. In fact, he had heard Tadashi mention that he had never celebrated a Christmas.  
Tochiro wasn't Christian in the least bit, nor was Christmas very popular as it was traditionally celebrated in Japan, but he felt the need to make things special. When the stocky man managed to approach Harlock away from everyone else, the way that he spoke was a little more assertive than his usual dreamy lilt.

"Have you looked at the calendar lately, Harlock?" He asked pointedly, refusing to beat around the bush.  
"Of course I have. What kind of question is that?" The brow above his good eye rose, wondering what his friend was up to.  
"I'd like it if we could make a stop at the next free port so that we can at least try to prepare something for everyone."  
The taller man was silent for a bit, almost as if he was running calculations within his mind. "The nearest free port is quite a bit of a ways away. Heavy Meldar has been compromised by the Illumidas. Besides, the preparations would take more time than we have available--"  
"If there is a will, there is a way," Tochiro interrupted, his scrutinizing gaze amplified from behind his spectacles.

Harlock had to admit that he admired his friend's tenacity. There was nobody he knew that was as passionate and charismatic as Tochiro, and perhaps this was why he was drawn to him the most. There was just an air about the man that made everyone instantly feel good around him, infectious elation that came with the warm smiles and friendly banter that he seemed to bestow upon everyone that wasn't an enemy. This was something that he knew he couldn't refuse--lest he wish to see that jovial attitude turn into cold wrath. Tochiro was correct, after all, the children did deserve it.

"Tadashi has never experienced a proper Christmas. You know very well what sort of life he came from, so we're obligated to at least give him one good experience before he becomes a man and the magic is gone."  
Magic. That word resonated with Harlock more than he thought it would, with his gaze settling upon Tochiro's expectant glare. That was what had been missing all this time from Christmas, not necessarily Maya or their families.  
As years drew on, there was less and less that he looked forward to. If there was no celebration or gifts to exchange, there was at least a feast. When food shortages occurred, there was music. When the media became policed by the Illumidas, it was only the Voice of Free Arcadia that would play Christmas music around the holiday and even then it became bittersweet and not something that he looked forward to knowing very well that the resistance behind the broadcast could be hunted down and killed at any moment for daring to defy the invaders that had subjugated their beautiful home of Earth.

"You're right," Was all that Harlock could manage, still bound by wayward thought.  
The other man seemed shocked at first that he had won so easily. Usually there would be a battle of wits or the Captain would simply put his foot down and leave no wiggle room. Tochiro was about to speak but now it was his turn to be interrupted.  
"I have one stipulation about celebrating Christmas, Tochiro."  
"That would be....?"  
"We're only going to let a few of the crew in on our secret. La Miime, Dr. Ban, and a few of the men who can help us sneak everything aboard the ship without them knowing. We can't necessarily recreate Santa Claus, but we can give them quite the surprise."  
Tochiro looked stunned, and then a silly grin spread across his face. "And here I was going to suggest that I could dress up for the occasion."  
"You? Dressing up as Santa? Now that would be quite the sight," Quipped Harlock. "Alright then. Let's figure out how we're going to do this."

They would need to act quickly and quietly. The word was passed on to those that would be participating stealthily, making sure that those who were to be surprised had no clue what was happening.  
Tochiro came up with the perfect excuse for needing to land on the planet that they were nearing as well. He suddenly found a 'problem with the computer that needed to be addressed' and asked Harlock if he would let them have an afternoon so that repairs could be made.  
Harlock played the part a lot better than he, as that grin on the shorter man's face was a little too happy for someone who was having to troubleshoot the central computer.

Tadashi Monono was none the wiser to any of this, and Tochiro knew that he needed to be distracted.  
"Why don't you help me out, Tadashi? I could use an extra set of hands and it's about time you learned some basic maintenance."  
"Huh? You want me to help?" The young boy looked confused but then smiled. "Of course I'll help! Just tell me what to do once we get stopped!"  
Harlock seemed pleased. That was one accounted for. La Miime had been absent, having taken it upon herself to prepare lights for the incoming tree using spare LEDs and stringing them together. The technical work was something that she was no stranger to, and she found the act of soldering wires together and testing the sequences calming. Nobody would come into her room and disturb her so she felt entirely safe with the task entrusted to her.

Kei would be the next one that would need occupying. Dr. Ban had plans for both Kei and Revi, since the planet that they were visiting was one where the Arcadia would not be considered hostile or unwanted. Planet Ossia was their destination, a satellite of a gas giant that wasn't too far from Heavy Meldar. In fact, you could see the Meldar system and all of its objects with the naked eye on a clear night. The only reason Ossia hadn't been overrun by Illumidas forces was because they often tapped the gas giant to power a superweapon that guarded the planet. To humans like Harlock and his crew, this would be a welcomed respite among the mixed alien and human population that had taken over. There were a handful of machinemen as well, but they were considered peaceful. Ossians lived in peace, but they had a devastating force behind them if it was necessary.

Passing through the heavily guarded security checkpoint was easy for the Arcadia. The flag was immediately recognized and they were given clearance to land at the planet's largest spaceport. The Port of Hyperion was bustling with activity. Vessels came and left, and navigating through the dense traffic was proving to be tricky. Most made way for the pirate vessel but there were some ships that plodded along at a snail's pace. Harlock was amazed to see so much activity but said nothing. He was thankful that there was at least one free port left in this part of space.

Once they touched down, Tochiro landed his hand on Harlock's lower back with a clap and flashed him that toothy grin. "I leave this up to you. If you need a list of things to get, just let me know and I'll send it, but I want to think that you know what we would need to get for this."  
"Are you going to underestimate me?"  
"This isn't necessarily your area of expertise, now is it?"  
Harlock and Tochiro were masking their conversation as if they were speaking of technology so that they could discuss their plans openly without raising suspicion. It was true that the Captain wasn't as well versed as Tochiro when it came to tech, but he couldn't help but roll his eye as his friend chastised his lack of 'holiday spirit,' so to speak. It was a Christmas miracle that Tochiro was speaking like this in a situation where Harlock couldn't have acted, otherwise there would be an instance of playful wrestling.

Despite everything, the Arcadia's crew kept in good spirits. That alone was enough to satisfy the Captain as he set off, trading his typical pirate regalia for an outfit that looked eerily similar to what Tochiro chose to wear when out and about. A wide-brimmed hat and brown cloak that had seen better days with civilian clothes underneath, enough to draw attention away from him and keep the whispers about his activities to a minimum. The last thing that Harlock needed was an outsider to catch him.  
As he was getting ready to leave through the cargo bay, he caught the excited squeals of Kei and Revi. Dr. Ban was going to treat them to lunch at a bistro that was in the spaceport. Harlock's smile couldn't have grown any wider at that point. This was the first time in a long time that he had seen such happiness shared by the majority of the crew.

La Miime made her appearance after the Arcadia had docked and was at rest, taking advantage of the opportunity to get out and also get the last supplies that she needed for her contributions to Christmas.  
Harlock had gotten a few of the engineering crew to volunteer to help him bring a tree back to the ship, deciding that they would tuck it behind one of the Space Wolves that wasn't used frequently. The starfighters that had deadly accuracy and the ability to zip and zoom around larger vessels were an asset in battle but in this case they would be essential in hiding the grand surprise that was coming. The young ones didn't often travel into the cargo bay anyway, but the added security was something that they had planned for.

Upon exiting the Arcadia and stepping out into the primary terminal, his senses were greeted with many things. Even this far from Earth, there were Christmas decorations displayed in many of the windows and hanging from the support beams of the large domed ceiling. There was the smell of baked goods on the air and jovial music that was barely audible above the bustle. This was the Christmas he was familiar with, the Christmas that he hoped to share with all those aboard the ship. There was no time to dawdle as they were on a time budget. His first order of business was to find a directory of nearby shops and industrial areas. Would he be able to find a tree? If he had to settle for artificial, he would. But there was something inviting about a natural tree.

He had one of the engineering crew flag someone down to ask considering there was so many festive displays. Sure enough, there was a kiosk just outside the spaceport for that exact reason--they weren't the only ones who wished to decorate for Christmas it seemed. Many were quite literally decking the halls of many battleships and space freighters with festive gear. It didn't take them long to reach their destination and see what sort of inventory they had.  
Harlock knew that he wanted to put as much effort into this as he could, so he meticulously browsed the catalogue that was provided. The bridge would be where the tree was going to go, and he had a rough idea of the approximate measurements. He settled on a ten foot tree only because anything larger would have been too much to decorate.

They were able to throw a tarp over their acquisition and carry it in with a routine supply run, where Harlock had made sure that there would be food for a Christmas feast purchased as well. Even if he wasn't a man blessed with riches there wasn't much he needed to spend capital on so purchasing goods was easy. The only thing left to do besides presents was get decorations.  
Almost as if his thoughts had been answered, Tochiro chimed in over the communicator. "Are you done yet? I need the engineering staff back so that we can switch positions and I can go buy what I need to."  
"So impatient," Remarked Harlock, chuckling. "Very well. I'll leave the rest of my list up to you to purchase. Staying out for too long isn't a good idea, at least for me."  
"I guess that's true. We don't want anyone picking a fight with you or mistaking you for a beanstalk."

Beanstalk, really Tochiro? Harlock's eye twitched. The comment would be left untouched once more. He was really on one today, but maybe it was the excitement fueling his facetious behavior.  
There was one more stop that he made upon the recommendation of the kiosk that was selling the majestic Christmas firs. There was a store that sold all the decor that they could ask for but the shopkeep advised them to not wait because most of the remarkable decorations were being purchased by those who were passing through. It was a miracle that there was just what he was looking for once he arrived.

Harlock had a particular vision when it came to the ornaments that would go on the tree. Red and gold was his preference, with golden garland. The last thing he needed was a star to illuminate the top of the tree, picking one that lit up with colors that changed in sequence. It looked crystalline, crafted from expertly blow glass with the light fixtures cased within. Anything else that was necessary would be left up to Tochiro, though his primary focus would be gifts. Taking their bounty, Harlock and the men that he had gathered returned to the Arcadia and stealthily packed the goodies away without anyone thinking differently. They would set everything up before Christmas morning so that everyone would awaken to a holiday wonderland.

The two men exchanged glances as they passed each other, with Harlock's knowing smile communicating much with Tochiro. Sometimes words weren't necessary and this was one of those moments.  
They would not be on this planet beyond nightfall so the stout man had to choose his battles wisely. La Miime had offered to assist Tochiro, as she had been out on her own and she listened to the vague conversations that were happening over the communicators. It was lucky that she did, because she was much more agile and able to cover more ground. They worked in tandem in order to make sure everyone had gifts, even remembering labels and wrapping paper for the mission that would be ahead of them which was wrapping the gifts and making sure nobody was keen on their plans.

Dr. Ban, Kei, and Revi returned with big smiles and in the arms of the youngest was a box full of assorted sweets. Just in time for the holidays she had something to share with everyone else. It was heartwarming to see that even the youngest of the Arcadia crew knew the importance of giving gifts.

Looks exchanged by the adults communicated much but kept the secret safe. All they needed to do was ensure that none of them stumbled across their preparations. Tochiro had volunteered to come up with the excuse here, too.  
Harlock was mostly impressed at how meticulous everyone was being, how they all stepped up to the plate when he had been hesitant to even celebrate due to old wounds. This was his family now, and he needed to step up for them even in what he would have believed to have been the most trivial of areas. A holiday couldn't be that important, could it? But seeing how everyone was behaving said otherwise.

"You look like you're glowing," Commented Tochiro with a sly grin. "I don't think any of us have been this happy in a long time."  
"No, I don't think so either. You were correct to tell us that it was important to celebrate and we haven't even gotten to the celebration yet."  
"There is nothing more infectious than the spirit of celebration, Harlock. Maybe we took that for granted back before the Illumidas occupation and completely forgot about it once we had to throw ourselves into war. But there was good reason for this holiday long before it was exploited by corporations."  
Harlock made a sound of agreement. "My experience was exchanging gifts of things that weren't necessarily expensive but the main emphasis was sharing the experience together, giving thanks and then having a Christmas meal that we all contributed to."  
"That reminds me," His shorter friend smiled again as he spoke. "Do you have any recipes you'd be willing to contribute to the feast?"  
"Contribute? I plan on joining in the cooking," Harlock replied with a laugh.

Tochiro kept a smile but he had visions of the Captain burning something, or even worse...making something that wasn't seasoned properly. Tochiro was usually the cook between the two of them as Harlock seemed to struggle even with the perfect ratio of water for instant noodles. In the military meals were provided so it wasn't a necessary skill and in the event that there was no meals, there were MREs which Harlock didn't mind but Tochiro found himself gagging on if he was forced to eat one. That's why he was grateful for having the intelligence to be in engineering and not having to be in active battle.

They still had a few days left to plan and prepare. Harlock had actually gone into the kitchen a few times and instead of cooking, he was showing his prowess with baking. Tadashi seemed a little shocked to see the Captain in there working on something that looked like dough for a small period of time each day. Once he was done with fussing over the dough, he would cover it and specifically put a paper over the covered bowl to dissuade others from touching it. Tadashi peeked in and saw nothing strange about the dough but he had to wonder just what it was that Harlock was making.

Tochiro was curious too, but he figured that the Captain would explain himself once he actually baked whatever it was. He had clued Tadashi in on the fact that they would at the very least have a Christmas dinner and he would offer the boy as much help as necessary in the kitchen, and he was certain that everyone else would want to pitch in since there wasn't much in the way of celebrating Christmas while engaged in active combat. They had only one close call with an Illumidas fleet but Harlock was calm and determined to keep them away from what was turning out to be exciting. Members of the crew had pitched in recipes and pledges to assist in the cooking since that was the only thing that Harlock had allowed them to talk about.

If he had indicated nothing, they would be more suspicious. After all, it was important to quite literally have all hands on deck to prepare for a grand feast. He wanted to make sure that everyone was able to have their favorite dish included, which was why he was working on this strange dough of his.  
Finally, the day of Christmas eve had arrived and it was the last day Harlock would have to tend to the dough before baking it.  
"Are you going to tell me what you're making now?" Tadashi inquired, peering at the counter from behind the Captain.  
"Of course. I was hoping to explain it after I was able to bake it, but since you're so curious I don't mind telling you now."

Tadashi felt a little bad about prying so adamantly, but he was finally going to get an answer. He sat down at one of the tables as Harlock finished examining the creation.  
"When I was younger, a little more reckless and a part of Earth's naval forces I had an acquaintance from America who introduced me to this recipe. He called it 'friendship bread,' and would often have plastic bags to hand out to those who wished to take the dough home to their families. There were a few reasons why he was so passionate about this recipe. It was very easy to make, and the friendship part wasn't just a name. After ten days of caring for your 'starter dough,' you can divide up the dough with enough to gift others so that they too can start a batch. Every time that you start the process, by day 10 you will be able to share the gift with others."  
"Wow, really?" Tadashi looked amazed at the thought of making lots of food to share.  
"From one batch of starter dough, you can make twelve loaves if you were to bake it all. Each bag if you bake it immediately yields two loaves. But if you keep it going, you can continue to share with others. Besides, the longer a starter has been passed around the more flavorful it becomes."

The boy still seemed shocked at the idea. "How is this not more popular? So many people's hunger could be solved."  
"It was a lost recipe and I didn't even learn all the details of it until the very end. Unfortunately, the man who introduced me to it lost his life in battle. I was the only one who had taken the time to learn the recipe but I was always being assigned to new things--I didn't get much time to bake. In fact, this starter was frozen about six months ago and before that it had been from a batch that had been making its rounds for three and a half months. It was this recipe that got me interested in baking because I enjoyed the idea of sharing a treat with others."  
"Yeah, I can see why," Monono replied, excited to try it tomorrow.  
"I'll show you the final steps tomorrow before we bake. Think about what flavor you'd like for yours because we have lots of options."  
"Wow, that's amazing! It seems so versatile."  
"It is, and that's why I felt it would be perfect to share on Christmas."

Christmas.  
He had almost forgotten about the holiday, and his face fell briefly. Harlock felt his heart breaking for the boy but he couldn't ruin the surprise. Not when they were just hours away from getting set up overnight and surprising everyone come morning. Tochiro had been absent from the bridge and the common areas of the ship, using La Miime's expert hand to wrap gifts without them looking like unattractive lumps of paper. He was good at many things but making his wrapping jobs look neat was something that was beyond him--the alien woman was much more adept and had the patience whereas the portly engineer would find himself growing increasingly frustrated. He was labeling each of the gifts, however.

Everything else was business as usual aboard the Arcadia, which wasn't unusual. They were scanning the stars for any signs of the Illumidas. Everyone needed to keep their lips sealed until the young ones went to bed. Dr. Ban was kind enough to treat them to some hot chocolate in order to keep their suspicions even more in check and help ease them to sleep. Once the children were asleep, they burst into activity and began preparing.

The tree was the first thing to be set up and it was secured into place in the event that they would run into trouble. Once it was tightly secured decorations were put on it. The first to go on was the lights and garland, as it gave everyone an idea of how to hang ornaments. Tochiro was even able to find a Christmas broadcast that was playing music to keep everyone in the spirit as preparations were under way. The kitchen came alive too with those who couldn't help on the bridge--as it was going to get a little crowded if everyone helped out there. The star was the last thing to go on the tree and then the lights were plugged in and they stared at their tree as the multicolored lights twinkled enthusiastically.

For Harlock, seeing the tree in all its glory was what kick started his feelings of festivity. Before that, it didn't seem 'real' to him that they were going to celebrate. Seeing the gifts that were beginning to pile up under the tree made him smile--especially when he saw one that had his name scrawled on the label in Tochiro's unique handwriting.  
He had to wonder what was going to be gifted to him--and in return Harlock put several gifts of his own for his crew under the tree. He had actually gone out of his way to make sure everyone had a gift from him even if it was something little. The smell of baked goods and cinnamon hung on the air from the kitchen, and he took a moment to appreciate how wonderful it smelled.

He forgot he was aboard the Arcadia until he looked out at the stars in front of him, and then realized there was no place he'd rather be than with his friends.  
"Are you okay?" Tochiro inquired, having paused his organizing of gifts to check up on the distant look the Captain had on his face.  
"Oh, yeah. Better than okay. I just realize that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now. Even if it isn't a traditional Christmas, there is something magical about seeing everyone come together in such good spirits despite everything."  
This was the kind of attitude needed for revolution, for the changes that needed to be made in order to drive the Illumidas out. Harlock was confident that there were no finer men in this galaxy, nobody else with as pure of hearts and as much compassion as his own crew. The only others he felt could match up to that were Maetel and Emeraldas--which he reminded himself that he would need to make sure that they got their own friendship bread starters with warm regards from the Arcadia crew.

Hope was something that Harlock had long forgotten in an attempt to keep a brave face for his crew. He remained cautiously optimistic about the future but he was not as spirited as he once was. Age had turned him into a more gentle spirit, calm and rooted in realism which could often translate into pessimism. This was the first time he felt that magic himself--and while he tried not to linger on it for too long, it was becoming something he couldn't ignore. The Christmas spirit was beginning to take him by force and he was ready to let it happen. Before giving in, he knew that he needed to make sure everything else was prepared. He would bake the loaves of friendship bread, check to make sure everything was in place and then retire to his own quarters to get a little bit of sleep. Harlock had promised himself that he would be awake to see everyone opening up their gifts.

The rest of the crew seemed to share that sentiment, exchanging alcohol for coffee to keep them working through the night. While drinks were had and toasts were made, the coffee was a welcomed respite from fatigue.

Harlock wasn't going to waste time as he did want to get rest, so when he left the crew to finish what they wished to do he couldn't relax enough to get to sleep. Tochiro showed no indications of slowing down before he left. That man was passionate and full of fire despite everything he had endured. He was resilient and Harlock could admire just how much his friend could handle despite his size and stature. After sleep evaded him for some time, he returned to find the bridge quiet save for Tochiro who was sitting in the navigation chair humming along to Christmas music.  
"Oh, Harlock!" He was greeted with a warm smile. "I thought you were going to sleep."  
"So did I," Replied the taller male. "But apparently even I'm predisposed to that excitement children get before Christmas morning."

Tochiro laughed. Not because of the situation, but because of yet another area where the two were alike. "It's because you and I share the same quality where the greatest happiness for us comes from ensuring the happiness and health of those dearest to us. It's not necessarily living vicariously through others, it's just basking in their raw emotions. I learned that when I was young because I was always the child that wanted to give and give even after being hurt. If I felt someone was deserving of kindness, I would do anything I could to bring that kindness to them."  
Harlock reflected on those words, knowing just what sacrifices that Tochiro had made along the way. Yet his heart was still as pure as it ever would be. He was always putting the needs of others above his own and always opting to help rather than ignore those in need. He was a true man, a man that he wished more would respect.

Tadashi was taking on more aspects of Tochiro's personality than Harlock's. In that regard, the Captain was thankful because he felt that his dear friend was a much better role model in many ways. This Christmas celebration was technically his brain child, and everyone else had just gotten things set in motion at his request. If he had been born in any other station in life, Tochiro would have ascended to something far greater.  
But perhaps it was fate that had him here on the Arcadia instead, fighting for freedom. Freedom came in many different forms, however. The unconventional forms were the ones that had a certain way of inspiring those around them.

"It's been years since I've heard Christmas music," Admitted Harlock, sitting not far from Tochiro.  
"I figured you would have listened to more."  
"Me? No, not really. I was never in charge of the radio. I simply listened to whatever was playing. It was the company that made it worth it more than whatever was playing in the background."  
"Mm. You're right about that."  
"I hope that next year we can celebrate on Earth without worry or care. A semblance of normality in our lives. Peace and quiet, if only for one day. But the greatest gift would be freedom."  
The shorter man reflected on his words, wishing. Deep down he knew they likely wouldn't get rid of the Illumidas by then. But this moment of peace was enough. The chair swiveled towards the Captain, and he grabbed one of his deceptively slender hands within both of his.

"This will begin to make things right."

Perhaps they were words shared between them as motivation. Even the strongest of souls could succumb to weakness in solitude. Harlock wasn't afraid to show weakness to Tochiro because they understood each other. That level of trust was something many would die for. Harlock was about to open his mouth when a voice interrupted him.

"Wh-What is this? Harlock! Tochiro! Did Santa really come to visit us on the Arcadia?"

The two men exchanged a smile between themselves as Tadashi bounded up to the tree, examining it with wide eyes.  
"I guess this is a conversation for another time," Murmured Harlock, who had his good eye on the young boy who was now circling the tree.  
"Oh! And there are gifts! This one has my name on it!" He held up one wrapped in blue and silver wrapping paper.  
"Tadashi, we're going to wait for everyone to wake up before we open gifts," Tochiro remarked, walking up to him with a big smile. "Regardless, I'm sure you can wait just a little longer for everyone to stir. Merry Christmas!"  
The boy looked as if he would burst into tears. Even without opening gifts, even without any of the luxuries many Earthlings had experienced he was enamored by the idea of celebration no matter how small it was.

This had certainly exceeded his expectations.  
"I just thought we'd be making Christmas dinner--"  
"That has also been taken care of. Many of the dishes are already being prepared and there are lots of baked goods for breakfast once we're ready to eat," Harlock stated, a warm smile even gracing his features.  
"Really?! Harlock, Tochiro....How did any of this happen?"  
"You said it yourself. Have faith in the Christmas spirit," Tochiro said.  
Monono knew that they had heard him speak about how he had never celebrated Christmas. Revi was lucky enough to have had the closeness of family and loved ones, as did Kei. He felt that he had been given something special by being the first to awaken on Christmas morning and getting to enjoy the excitement without having to compare his experience to everyone else's.

"Thank you...both of you," He finally managed to choke out, overwhelmed with emotion.  
"We're family. In life, we have three types of family--the one that we are born into, the one that we create from our dearest friends and allies, and the one that forms due to circumstances. While the Arcadia crew is a mix of two and three, the point still remains that we are a family and Tochiro thought that it would be important to honor that. Really, you should be thanking him for this."  
"Tochiro?"  
The engineer laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "I couldn't stand the idea of not doing anything for Christmas."  
"I thought you were going to dress up as Santa," Harlock quipped.  
"Hey! We don't have a costume, otherwise I would have."

The three laughed together at this. Tadashi tried to wrap his head around the idea of Tochiro donning the red outfit but couldn't quite picture it.  
"I guess we've got a busy day ahead of us," Monono finally chimed in, his sides heaving still from the laughter.  
"A fun day, even if we have an outside interruption," Harlock added.  
"Let's let everyone get a little more rest and then I'll let you have the honors of waking everyone up, Tadashi," Tochiro replied. "It is still relatively early. That reminds me...why did you wake up to begin with?"  
"I just had a feeling," The boy responded. "I'm glad I didn't ignore it."  
"Either that or you would have been woken up by someone else who had stumbled across our Christmas display."  
"No, it's better this way." He didn't want to think about how confused he would have been if Revi had come pounding on his door before a decent hour.

Many people have perceptions of the true meaning of Christmas. Over time, that meaning has changed for all who celebrate the holiday. In the case of those effected by warfare and poverty, Christmas is something that many have resentments about. There are some who have had their opinions swayed by corporate greed. The true meaning of Christmas is different for everyone, and this is something the crew of the Arcadia were beginning to understand as each soul stirred and rose for the first time on that fateful morning.  
Everyone had a different feeling that filled their hearts upon celebrating with one another and seeing the beautiful tree glittering with lights. Each feeling was unique to the person who felt them, yet no words needed to be exchanged.

This feeling had many shared aspects among those participating even if their introspection was different. Harlock especially was beginning to understand this as this was vastly different from anything he experienced. Tochiro already knew this and seemed to just be basking in the warmth that was radiating from the crew.  
Even in the furthest reaches of the sea of stars, Christmas magic was cultivated and grown into a flourishing spirit. The cultivator was none other than Tochiro Oyama, regardless of how many times he'd dismiss it. Harlock knew this and everyone else did as well. Even if they had stopped trying to insist that Tochiro take credit for understanding how to awaken that wonder and magic within everyone, the thought was also something that was shared.

Well, mostly shared.  
All of Harlock's Christmas spirit seemed to go down the drain as soon as he opened the gift that Tochiro bestowed upon him.  
"....You've got to be kidding me."  
He extended his arms out to study the red sweater that was clutched in his hands, and he shot a glare at his friend. "How did you get this?"  
The man merely gave him a toothy grin and shrugged his shoulders.  
Just because the Christmas spirit was strong, it did not mean that Harlock could escape the plucky humor of his dearest friend. For those two, it was the ability to laugh and smile in the face of what felt like the darkest point in their lives in the sense that they had risked everything in order to ensure the Earth's safety and freedom.

For them, that was enough.


End file.
